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Approval Workflows

Route expenses to managers for approval based on amount, department, vendor, or custom rules.

Overview​

FlowLogik's approval workflows let you enforce spending policies and ensure proper authorization before expenses hit QuickBooks.

How Approval Works​

Basic Flow​

  1. Employee uploads receipt → FlowLogik extracts data
  2. Employee reviews and submits → Routes to approver based on rules
  3. Approver receives notification → Email + in-app notification
  4. Approver reviews expense → See receipt, amount, GL code
  5. Approver approves or rejects → With optional comments
  6. Submitter gets notification → Email notification of decision
  7. Approved expense syncs → Push to QuickBooks

Who Can Approve?​

Admin Role:

  • Can approve any expense
  • Can edit approval rules
  • Can override rejections

Approver Role:

  • Can approve expenses routed to them
  • Cannot edit rules
  • Can delegate approval temporarily

Member Role:

  • Submit expenses for approval
  • Cannot approve expenses
  • Can view own expense status

Setting Up Approval Rules​

Step 1: Create Approval Rule​

  1. Go to Settings → Approval Workflows
  2. Click Add Rule
  3. Configure rule conditions
  4. Select approver(s)
  5. Click Save

Step 2: Set Rule Priority​

Rules are evaluated in order (top to bottom).

Example:

  1. Amount \> $1000 → Route to CFO
  2. Amount \> $500 → Route to Director
  3. Amount \> $100 → Route to Manager
  4. Amount ≤ $100 → Auto-approve

Step 3: Test Rule​

Upload a test receipt and verify it routes to the correct approver.

Rule Types​

Amount-Based Rules​

Route based on expense amount.

Examples:

  • Expenses > $100 → Manager
  • Expenses > $500 → Director
  • Expenses > $1000 → CFO

Use Cases:

  • Progressive approval based on spend
  • Higher approval for large expenses
  • Auto-approve small expenses

Department/Class Rules​

Route based on department or QuickBooks class.

Examples:

  • Marketing expenses → Marketing Manager
  • Sales expenses → Sales Director
  • IT expenses → IT Manager

Use Cases:

  • Department managers approve their team's expenses
  • Different approval chains per department
  • Budget owner approvals

Vendor-Based Rules​

Route based on vendor name.

Examples:

  • Amazon purchases → IT Manager
  • Travel agencies → HR/Admin
  • Software vendors → IT Director

Use Cases:

  • Specific vendors require special approval
  • High-risk vendors need extra scrutiny
  • Recurring vendors auto-approved

GL Account Rules​

Route based on expense category (GL account).

Examples:

  • Meals & Entertainment → Manager + Director
  • Capital Expenditures > $5000 → CFO
  • Office Supplies < $50 → Auto-approve

Use Cases:

  • Sensitive categories require approval
  • Large capital expenses need CFO approval
  • Routine expenses auto-approved

Combined Rules (AND/OR)​

Combine multiple conditions.

Examples:

  • Marketing expenses AND > $500 → Marketing Director
  • Travel expenses OR Meals > $200 → Manager
  • Software purchases AND > $1000 → IT Director + CFO

Use Cases:

  • Complex approval logic
  • Multiple conditions must be met
  • Different paths based on category + amount

Multi-Level Approvals​

Sequential Approval​

Require multiple approvers in sequence.

Example:

  1. First: Manager reviews and approves
  2. Then: Director reviews and approves
  3. Finally: Expense syncs to QuickBooks

When to Use:

  • Large expenses (e.g., >$5000)
  • Sensitive categories
  • Budget approval + manager approval

Parallel Approval​

Require multiple approvers at once (any or all).

Example:

  • Route to Manager AND Director
  • Either can approve (first approval wins)
  • OR require both to approve

When to Use:

  • Cross-functional expenses
  • Shared budget approvals
  • Redundant approval for coverage

Approval Actions​

Approve​

Approver clicks Approve button.

What Happens:

  • Expense marked as approved
  • Submitter notified
  • Ready to sync to QuickBooks
  • Can be synced manually or auto-synced

Approver Can:

  • Add comments
  • Edit GL codes or amounts (if allowed)
  • Assign to different class/location

Reject​

Approver clicks Reject button.

What Happens:

  • Expense marked as rejected
  • Submitter notified with reason
  • Not synced to QuickBooks
  • Submitter can edit and resubmit

Rejection Reasons:

  • Missing receipt
  • Out of policy
  • Incorrect amount
  • Duplicate expense
  • Other (with comment)

Request Changes​

Approver requests submitter to edit expense.

What Happens:

  • Expense returned to submitter
  • Submitter edits as requested
  • Resubmits for approval
  • Routes back to approver

Common Requests:

  • Add business purpose
  • Fix GL account
  • Split into line items
  • Provide better quality receipt

Delegate​

Approver delegates approval to another user.

What Happens:

  • Approval request sent to delegate
  • Delegate approves/rejects
  • Original approver notified of decision

When to Use:

  • Out of office
  • Temporary coverage
  • Expertise needed (e.g., tax question)

Notifications​

Email Notifications​

Sent When:

  • Expense submitted for approval
  • Expense approved
  • Expense rejected
  • Changes requested

Email Includes:

  • Receipt thumbnail
  • Vendor, amount, date
  • Submitter name
  • Link to approve/reject in FlowLogik

Customize:

  • Settings → Notifications
  • Toggle email notifications on/off
  • Set frequency (immediate, daily digest)

In-App Notifications​

Shown In:

  • FlowLogik dashboard
  • Red badge on "Approvals" menu
  • Count of pending approvals

Click Notification:

  • Opens expense details
  • Can approve/reject directly

Slack Notifications (Coming Soon)​

Get approval requests in Slack.

Includes:

  • Receipt image
  • Expense details
  • Approve/Reject buttons in Slack
  • Sync back to FlowLogik

Auto-Approval​

Automatically approve expenses that meet certain criteria.

When to Use Auto-Approval​

Good Use Cases:

  • Expenses < $50 from trusted employees
  • Recurring vendors (e.g., monthly SaaS)
  • Specific categories (e.g., parking, tolls)
  • Employees with spending authority

Avoid Auto-Approval For:

  • Large expenses (>$500)
  • Sensitive categories (travel, entertainment)
  • New employees
  • High-risk vendors

Setting Up Auto-Approval​

  1. Go to Settings → Approval Workflows
  2. Create rule with conditions
  3. Select Auto-Approve as approver
  4. Save rule

Example Rules:

  • Amount < $50 → Auto-approve
  • Parking meters → Auto-approve
  • Gas stations + Card ending 1234 → Auto-approve

Approval Reports​

View approval activity and metrics.

Pending Approvals Report​

See all expenses waiting for approval:

  • Grouped by approver
  • Sorted by date (oldest first)
  • Filter by amount, department, vendor
  • Export to CSV

Approval History​

View past approval decisions:

  • Who approved what
  • Approval timestamps
  • Rejection reasons
  • Average approval time

Approver Performance​

Track approver response times:

  • Average time to approve
  • % approved vs rejected
  • Pending approval count
  • Overdue approvals (>48 hours)

Best Practices​

Set Clear Thresholds​

  • $0-$50: Auto-approve (or no approval needed)
  • $50-$500: Manager approval
  • $500-$2000: Director approval
  • $2000+: CFO approval

Department Budgets​

Route expenses to budget owners:

  • Marketing → Marketing Manager
  • Sales → Sales Director
  • Engineering → Engineering Manager

Document Policy​

Create written expense policy:

  • What expenses are allowed
  • Receipt requirements
  • Approval thresholds
  • Prohibited expenses
  • Reimbursement timeline

Train Team​

  • Show employees how to submit expenses
  • Explain approval process and timeline
  • Set expectations (e.g., approved within 48 hours)
  • Provide contact for questions

Review Rules Regularly​

  • Quarterly review of approval rules
  • Adjust thresholds as needed
  • Remove outdated rules
  • Add rules for new vendors/categories

Troubleshooting​

Expense Not Routing​

Problem: Expense not sending to approver

Solutions:

  • Check approval rules are active
  • Verify rule conditions match expense
  • Review rule priority (order matters)
  • Check approver has correct role/permissions

Approver Not Getting Notifications​

Problem: Approver says they didn't get email

Solutions:

  • Check spam/junk folder
  • Verify email address in Settings → Team
  • Test email notification in Settings → Notifications
  • Check notification preferences (not disabled)

Can't Approve Expense​

Problem: Approve button grayed out or missing

Solutions:

  • Verify user has Approver or Admin role
  • Check expense is in "Pending Approval" status
  • Ensure expense was routed to you specifically
  • Refresh page and try again

FAQ​

Can I approve expenses on mobile?​

Yes, click the approval link in the email notification. Opens mobile-friendly approval page.

What happens if approver is out of office?​

Set up delegation in Settings → Team → Out of Office. Approvals route to delegate automatically.

Can I edit expense amounts as approver?​

Yes (if enabled by admin). Edit amount, GL codes, or line items before approving.

How long does approval take?​

Most approvals happen within 24 hours. Set up email reminders for overdue approvals.

Can I bulk approve expenses?​

Yes, select multiple expenses and click "Bulk Approve". Review all before confirming.

What if I accidentally approve?​

Admins can reverse approvals. Go to expense → Actions → Unapprove. Prevents QuickBooks sync.

Can I require receipts for all expenses?​

Yes, enable in Settings → Policies. Expenses without receipts cannot be submitted.

Need Help?​

📧 Email: support@flowlogik.com
💬 Live Chat: Available in the dashboard
📺 Video Tutorial: Watch Approval Setup Guide
📚 Knowledge Base: help.flowlogik.com